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The Harley-Davidson LiveWire electric bike has been making waves since the release of the production version last November. Despite the high price of $ 29,799, Harley-Davidson deserves accessories for its early adoption of electric vehicles, beating many other major motorcycle manufacturers on the market.
But do you think a group of engineers actually built the first electric Harley-Davidson more than 40 years ago? Check out their impressive efforts below.
The first Harley-Davidson electric motorcycle
Year: 1978.
The place: Honolulu, Hawaii
Steve Fehr, Transportation Systems Engineer, Transitron Electric Corporation, had the big idea that Harley-Davidson should build an electric motorcycle. And to convince them that it was possible, he decided to start by building one.
Steve met with a Transitron team and began designing the very first electric Harley. Their original design sketches show how the team had planned to do it.
image credits: Sotheby's
They started with a 1971 Harley-Davidson XLH Sportster.
The original 900cc gasoline engine was removed and replaced by a 24V 90A variable speed electric motor. It was badociated with a belt transmission to a 4-speed automatic transmission resulting in a direct chain transmission on the rear wheel. A proprietary controller has been developed and added.
The current and voltage gauges were mounted under an electronic speedometer and a tachometer.
The power comes from four deep cycle lead batteries. Not light at all, but they did not have many options. The first NiMH and Li-ion batteries were still at the proof of concept stage.
The bike weighed 276 kg (608 lb). Nevertheless, he would have reached a top speed of 80 km / h (50 mph). Its 2 kW engine even produced a time between 5 and 6 seconds between 0 and 30 mph (0 and 51 km / h). Not fast, but better than several new electric scooters that I flew.
Take off an electric Harley-Davidson
Steve and his team desperately tried to attract Harley-Davidson's attention. They had successfully proven that some guys and a spare parts store could produce an electric motorcycle. With the resources of Harley-Davidson, a more powerful version could surely be developed, right?
Unfortunately, Harley-Davidson did not see it that way. They transmitted the project. But it has attracted the attention of Harley-Davidson's famous designer, Brooks Stevens.
Together, the duo is set to work to put the bike to the test. They completed 579 km of track testing in Wisconsin, not far from Harley-Davidson headquarters.
But after all these tests and with more than $ 70,000 invested in the project, no other investor or partner has shown interest. An electric Harley was just not in the cards. The bike landed in Brook Steven's museum. He remained there until his death in 1995. More recently, he was auctioned by Sotheby's for $ 11,000 in 2014.
Put this sad violin music away though. It's not that kind of story, because it did not stop there. In 2014, in addition to Steve Fehr's first electric Harley-Davidson sold at auction, the first official Harley-Davidson Electric is out of Milwaukee. The LiveWire project was born.
Harley-Davidson finally embraces electric motorcycles
Harley-Davidson may have struggled to enter the 1970s, but the company finally came into existence almost 40 years later.
After deploying the LiveWire prototype in 2014, the project underwent a series of design (and design) changes until 2018, the year of the production release announcement.
Recently, Harley-Davidson introduced the LiveWire at CES 2019. Harley-Davidson's first real electric motorcycle is already available for pre-sale. With a top speed of 177 km / h and a range of 177 km, he will blow up his 40-year-old grandfather. The price tag of $ 29,799 has been a lot of eyebrows, especially considering the more affordable competition that blows on the neck of H-D. The bike features high-end components, innovative technology and is built in the United States as far as it can help calm its maximum price.
So, while it may not be the electric bike for everyone, at least LiveWire embodies the legacy of Steve Fehr and Brooks Steven's work so many years ago.
And it's a much better ending for history.
Electrek DIY Electric Motorcycle Conversion Project
If you enjoyed this vintage conversion of a vintage electric motorcycle, you'll love cooking.
I have just started to convert my own Honda CA110 Sport Cub 1969 into an electric motorcycle. I'm still in the planning phase, but we'll cover the construction of Electrek as soon as I can share more progress.
Until then, check the current status of the project below.
via CycleWorld
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